Rígsþula


Sva segia menn i fornum sogum,
So men said in ancient stories,

at einnhverr af ásum,
that one of the Aesir,

sa er Heimdallr het,
who was called Heimdall,

fór ferðar sinnar ok framm með siofarstrondu nockurri,
was going on his way and as he went along a seashore,

kom at einum húsaboe ok nefndiz Rigr.
he came to a homestead, and he gave his name as Rig.

Eptir þeirri sogu er kvæði þetta:
This poem is about that story.
1



Ár kváðu ganga
Long ago, they said, walked

grænar brautir
on green ways

öflgan ok aldinn
a powerful and aged

ás kunnigan,
knowledgable god,

ramman ok röskvan
mighty and ripe-grown

Rig stíganda.
Ríg, striding


rammr, a. strong, of bodily strenngth, mighty and powerful
röskr, acc. röskvan, a. vigorous, brave
röskvast, v. refl. to ripen, of fruit, to grow up.
2







Gekk hann meirr at þat
On he walked more then

miðrar brautar,
in the middle of the way.

kom hann at húsi,
He came to a house,

hurð var á gætti;
the door was ajar,

inn nam at ganga,
in he stepped.

elldr var á gólfi,
There was a fire on the floor,

hión sátu þar
man and wife sat there,

hár at arni,
grey-haired by the hearth,

Ái ok Edda
Great-grandfather and Great-grandmother

alldinfallda.
in her old fashioned head-dress.





Rigr kunni þeim
Rig was able

ráð at segia,
to offer advice to them

Meirr settiz hann
Moreover, he seated himself

miðra fletia,
in the middle of the bench,

enn á hlið hvára
and at either side of him

hión salkynna.
the couple of the household.


4








Þá tók Edda
Then Great-grandmother took

Økvinn hleif,
a coarse loaf,

þungan ok þykkan,
heavy and thick,

þrunginn sáðum;
stuffed with grains.

Bar hón meirr at þat
More, she brought it then

miðra skutla,
in the middle of the plate.

Soð var i bolla,
Boiled meat was in the bowl,

setti á bióð,
she set that on the table.

Reis hann upp þaðan,
He got up from there,

réðz at sofna.
got ready to sleep.


5





Rigr kunni þeim
Rig was able

ráð at segia,
to give them advice.

Meirr lagðiz hann
More, he laid

miðrar rekkiu,
in the middle of the bed,

en á hlið hvára
and at either side of him

hión salkynna.
the man and wife of the household.